Renewable Energy: APM Terminals Unveils Transition To Solar-Powered Operations

APM Terminals Apapa has announced a one-year road map to transition from reliance on diesel as a fuel source to gas, eventually to solar and battery-powered solutions.

Terminal manager, Steen Knudsen, disclosed this in a chat with LEADERSHIP on Monday.

He said, “As a company, we acknowledge that transition is not an overnight journey, and so we have designed a roadmap for moving from the current state to the future state where our operations will be fully decarbonised.

“Currently, we have commissioned two new CNG generators of 4MW capacity in our terminal, which is shifting our reliance from diesel to gas as a fuel source for our power generation. This step also resonates with the Nigerian government’s commitment towards using gas for power generation.”

Knudsen added that with this shift, all the terminal’s reefer plugs, buildings and lighting will be powered by gas. He said replacing diesel with gas as a fuel source would reduce the terminal’s carbon emissions, while continuing the transition into more environmentally friendly options, as more sustainable and renewable energy solutions become available.

He said, “In the next six to twelve months, we will further decarbonise our operations through an on-site solar solution, which will displace our consumption by up to 30 replace and increase our self-generation capabilities.

“We are dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint worldwide, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2040. Our approach integrates sustainable practices that boost efficiency while minimising environmental impact.”

Recall that the federal government held a one-day Decarbonisation Summit earlier in July, aiming to address the gaps in policy, financing and technology that hinder Nigeria’s transition to low-carbon infrastructure.

The head of Procurement at APM Terminals Nigeria, Chinyere Adenaike, described the terminal’s goal as achieving its net zero ambition through full electrification of the terminal equipment and 100 per cent reliance on renewable electricity to power operations.

She said, “This vision can only be achieved through strong commitment and deeper collaboration from the government and through private investment to strengthen critical power infrastructure and introduce favourable regulations enabling this energy transition and sustainable port operations.

“We cannot achieve our net-zero ambition alone. With this recognition, together with our global Energy Category team, we have already begun wider engagements with key stakeholders like Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), local distribution companies and renewable energy developers in the region.”

She added that the terminal intends to extend a hand of partnership with relevant stakeholders and ease the deployment of renewable electricity solutions in the country, overcoming the current power supply challenges.

“Nigeria is blessed with high levels of solar radiation, which positions our country as a promising location for both large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal electricity projects, and we, as APM Terminals, are committed to leveraging this opportunity to make our operations green,” she said.